Sprinkling apparatus



Sept. 25,1923. 1,468,860

T. J. FOLEY SPRINKLING APPARATUS Filed Aug- 16 r 1920 Patented Sept. 25,1923.

TIM THY J. ronnmorlnnw YORK, n; Y;

' srnrnxnrne nrrenarus.

Application filed Augustj16, 1920. serial-n5. 403,806.

To all whom itmay concern}.

Be itlmown that I, TIMOTHY lFomr, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of New York, borough and county of Bronx, in the State of New York, have "invented'a certain new and useful Improvement in sprinkling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to [apparatus for sprinkling road surfaces, athletic fields, racetracks and the like, andfor irrigating gardens, lawns and fields.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus by which large areas may be covered and uniformly supplied with water,

preferably in the form of drops simulating rain, and which may be easily and economically operated without waste'ofwater or power. The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement by which the above objects are'attained, to be hereinafter described and claimed; V

The accompanying drawings-form a part of this specification and show'an approved form of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the appara tus, with a portion of the car broken away to show the interior parts.

of the car and its attachments, with portions of the supporting structure in vertical transverse section.

Figure 3 is, a plan view corresponding to Figure 1. r V

Figure 4 is a vertical section one. larger scale, througha portion of the car'and the turret thereon, through which thewater is delivered. 4

same parts in all the figures. A are uprights which may be understood to'be posts of the vdesired height firmlyset in the ground'in series and supportingithe rails B of a trackon which run the wheels C of a car C. The latter contains a pump D of any suitable type, driven by any preferred means, shown as an electric motor D and a similar motor C by which the car is moved along the track by any suitable gearing to the driving axle.

Current for the motors D 0 is taken through a wheel or shoe Eccarried by the car, from a third-rail E on the trestle alongside the track-rails B. The motors are equipped with 'means, not; shown, for controlling the therein.

Figure 2 is a corresponding end elevation sufiiciently watered, the sprinkling :pipe H Similar letters of reference indicate the sp c . Between the track-rails is a continuous trough or tracks-tank F supplied-with Water at any suitable :point in itj'slength from any availablessource, pumped or led thereto: and maintained constantly atnthe desired level V A suction pipe D from the pump extends T downwardly through the floor of the car, into the tank F with its'openmouth submerged in the water therein, and a delivery pipe 1) from the pump extends vertically into a closed turret G-mounted on the top of the car. The. turret is rotatablysupported concentrically to the delivery pipe D? on a ball bearing G or otherwise, and is preferablyprovided with a stuffing-box G 'inclosing the pipe l) to prevent leakage from the turret.

Extending laterally from the turret and approximately horizontally, is along sprinkling pipe H, preferably slightly tapered from the turret to its overhung end, and having a series of small, orifices it along its under face.

,Thus arranged, water from the track-tank is drawn to the pump and delivered to the turret, whence it flows, preferably by gravity, to the'sprinklingpipe 7H and escapes in drops or gentle jets from the orifices h as the car is moved along the track. When the ground on one side of the trestle has been is swung horizontally by. a partial rotation of the turret to treat the opposite side. 7

In order to balance the weight'of the long sprinkling. pipe H,'anarm J is mounted on s the turret and extends laterally therefrom' of the course, and a-sprinkling pipe employed of suflicient length to extend thefull width of the course. In such situations a light rail or track K may be located outside the courseto receive a grooved roller mounted in a swiveling housing L attached to the outer end of the sprinkling pipe to aid in supporting the latter, and to travel on the rail K as the car C is moved. v

The trestle is shown as of considerable height, as Will be required under some conditions of service, but for irrigating fields and gardens the trestle may be lower or may be dispensed With entirely in the treatment of low-growing crops, and the car tracks laid upon the ground, with the track-tank sunk therein or its place taken by an irrigation ditch between the tracks.

As has been stated, it is prefarbly to permit the water escaping through the orifices h to descend by gravity, but it will be understood that the pump may be run at .a rate to project the Water in strong jets if desired; in such-case the air imprisoned in the upper portion of the turret serves as a cushion in maintaining uniformity of discharge pressure.

The track-tank or irrigation ditch may be alongside the track, with the suction pipe arranged to dip therein.

I claim In an apparatus of the character set forth, a trestle, rails thereon, a continuous open tank carried by said trestle between said rails, an electrically driven car movable on said rails, a pump on said car, a rotatable turret on said car, a sprinkling pipe extending from said turret, a suction pipe from said pump to said tank, a delivery pipe from said pump to said turret, means ear ried by said car for operating said pump, and means carried by the car for moving said car, the water being discharged-from said turret by gravity assisted by compressed air in saidturret.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I afli-X my signature.

TIMOTHY J; FOLEY, 

